The first mentions of nomadic Roma attributed as Gurbeti ancestors, mostly Rroma escaping slavery in Wallachia, is from the 17th century.[6] The Gurbeti Roma's ancestors left Wallachia and Moldavia in the 19th century after abolition of slavery. In 1941, most of the Yugoslav Roma settled permanently, with the exception of the Gurbeti in Montenegro.[7]

They share some cultural features with the Kalderaš, but also with other Roma such as Xoraxane. Gurbeti are partly assimilated into society and do not fully follow the Romany Law. They speak Gurbeti, a sub-dialect of the Vlax Romani language, or sometimes regarded a separate dialect. In Kosovo, the Gurbeti speech have either a dominant Serbian substratum, or Albanian substratum. The Džambazi speak a sub-dialect of Gurbeti. The origin of the Romani loan words in Croatian are most likely from Gurbeti, who settled predominantly from Bosnia and Herzegovina.[8]

Rade Uhlik translated the Gospel of Luke into Bosnian Gurbeti as O keriben pal e Devleskre bičhade. This was published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1938, and published in Belgrade.

There is a Gurbeti diaspora, such as in Austria, were recent migrants, mostly unskilled workers, has since integrated into Austrian society.

^Helena Kanyar-Becker 2003: "In addition, in the XVIIth century, one begins to find mentions of nomadic Rroma, mostly Rroma who were escaping the slavery in Valachia - the ancestors of the present-day Gurbeti in Yugoslavia."